1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to ratcheting wrenches, specifically to wrenches used to open and close fire hydrant actuating valves and to remove and replace hose connection caps on fire hydrants.
2. Description of Prior Art
The primary function of fire hydrants is to provide fire fighters with a fast and reliable method of connection to water mains. A major problem often experienced by firefighters is caused by the location of fire hydrants with regard to other structures. When they are located near a building or fence it is not possible to swing or rotate the wrench 360 degrees. Despite local and state laws and regulations, firefighters may also be confronted with fire hydrants that are in close proximity to walls, parked vehicles, phone booths, telephone and sign posts, etc. My invention permits standing in one position and utilizes the ratcheting mechanism to eliminate walking around the hydrant. This ratcheting feature has proven to be desirable even for hydrants that are fully accessible. Many injuries have been caused by slipping on wet grass, by slipping off the road curbing concealed by snow and ice, and while perhaps humorous to some who have not experienced the situation, firefighters have been seriously injured by slipping on dog excretement commonly found around fire hydrants.
Unfortunately, vandalism and other unauthorized misuse of fire hydrants, particularly in large cities, has made it necessary to equip fire hydrants with tamper resistant fittings. These tamper proof fittings are often made by altering the shape of the stem end that activates the valve. Commonly, this results in different shapes and sizes for individual manufacturers hydrants.
Various methods of tamper proofing have been proposed. U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,336 by McCauley discloses recessed slots and requires a mating wrench. In addition to the much higher costs of manufacturing such proposed tamper proofing devices they often suffer failures due to their location. Many hydrants are in close proximity to roads and a great deal of road dust and dirt may accumulate in the internal slots or cavities. Also, weather conditions may result in ice or snow preventing the engagement of the operating wrench.
Another method of discouraging vandalism is to provide several different sizes of fittings on the same hydrant. Currently in the U.S. sizes vary from 15/16 inches to 13/4 inches and more. They are also square, pentagon and hexagon. Regrettably, with this simple tamper proofing method of varying the sizes and shapes of the actuating nuts and caps on the fire hydrants, the firefighter is faced with the necessity of transporting several different wrenches. There are approximately 50 to 100 different sizes and shapes of nuts and caps supplied over the long period of time of hydrant use. Obviously, this creates problems greater than the vandalism. My invention provides a wrench that is rapidly adjustable to fit virtually all or most fire hydrant nuts and caps.
My invention responds to the need for a wrench that is operable in all weather conditions and that resists jamming due to sand, grit and other contaminants. My invention permits firefighters to place their feet firmly in one spot and perform their tasks quickly and safely.
Some prior art such as U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,077 by Cummings et al. concern themselves to lowering costs and reducing weight. While desirable in some applications, a fire hydrant wrench must, first of all, be rugged, reliable, and above all, must be fool proof, quick acting and simple to operate under highly stressful conditions, severe weather conditions, and in the darkness of night.
Also, my invention has the highly desirable features of permitting size adjustments and ratchet reversing while wearing heavy wet gloves.
My invention facilitates placement of the wrench by using a socket that is open at both ends. This feature permits the firefighter to "sight down" as he of she places the wrench for adjusting the bolt to the nut. Also this permits the socket to clear lubrication fittings found on the top of some actuating nuts.
My invention offers an optional pawl actuating lever which permits rapid reversing of the pawl action with a minimum of hand pressure. This is particularly desirable today because of legal requirements that mandate the equal hiring consideration given to females and older applicants. Also, it may be noted that many volunteer fire departments have more older personnel than paid fire departments.
In addition, as an option, my invention provides a square hole, typically a 3/4 inch square hole, suitable for socket drives for sockets used in the maintenance of vehicular and non-hydrant equipment.
Therefore, fire hydrant wrenches heretofore known have suffered from a number of disadvantages:
(A) Those wrenches mating with internal slots require slots that are free from dust, ice and corrosion--conditions not encountered in the real world.
(B) Non-adjustable wrenches require a multitude of sockets to fit the almost 100 sizes and shapes found on the fire hydrants in use today.
(C) Non-ratcheting types of wrenches require the fireman to move around the hydrants which is not always possible due to obstructions. Such wrenches greatly increase the time required to ready a hydrant for action because it is necessary to attach, turn a partial arc, remove and reattach the wrench on the caps for the hose connections as well as the top stem nut for opening and closing the water main.
(D) Even when hydrants have 360 degree accessibility, non-ratcheting wrenches require walking around the hydrant. This could lead to an accident due to poor footing conditions so often encountered at hydrants.
(E) Low cost wrenches such as those fabricated from stamped components often cannot endure the rugged environment of fire fighting situations. This includes the ability to withstand high torque, being run over by vehicles, and to function when exposed to dirt, water or ice.
(F) Wrenches requiring set screws, special handling, or special operating requirements do not meet the rugged, reliable, and quick action criteria a tool must meet for operation under the stressful conditions of fire fighting.
(G) Ratchet wrenches in the past were difficult or impossible to use when the fireman must wear heavy wet gloves.
(H) Wrenches with sockets closed at one end do not permit "sighting" the hydrant actuating nut.
(I) Wrenches with sockets closed at one end do not permit "sighting" of the lubrication fitting on some hydrant nuts and do not permit clearance for full and firm engagement of the socket when used on a nut with a lubrication fitting.
(J) Many wrenches in the past could not be disassembled for cleaning or replacement of worn or broken parts,
(K) Some previous ratchet wrenches required a high digital pressure to reverse the pawl and were very awkward or impossible to reverse while wearing heavy gloves.
(L) Some prior wrenches damaged storage boxes and contents due to sharp edges.
(M) Many previous wrenches did not provide an optional square drive hole for attaching socket drives for the maintenance of vehicular or non-hydrant equipment.
(N) Some previous wrenches did not provide a simple to understand multiple configurated cavity that would engage hydrant nuts of various shapes and sizes by using an adjusting bolt for corresponding enclosure.